Why a "community" matters, especially in later life
Friends and family members in 2018 attended an excellent basketball tournament in Des Moines; four colleges participated: Iowa, Iowa State, the University of Northern Iowa and Drake University. It was the morning of Valentine's Day and my husband Steve, and I, started to walk in Scott County Park, located just two miles from our home in rural Scott County, Iowa. We had begun a two-mile loop when a woman in a car stopped us: She leaned out the driver's side window and handed us two bags of Valentine candies. Startled, we stared at her as we did not know her. But she smiled and said, "I like that you are out here, walking!" We did accept the candies and are eating them to this day! That pleasant incident points to the importance of have a "community" in life. Communities are generally defined as a group of persons who share a common interest. Growing up, this is evident in school when one has dozens of classmates, all trying to succeed.